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Glite Dictionary
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possessory

possessory

7.8
Showing that something belongs to someone, for example 'his' or 'her'
  • adjective
  • /pəˈzɛsəri/
  • Specialized
translation icon : posesivo
  • A possessory pronoun like 'hers' indicates that something belongs to a particular person.

Examples

  • Teachers explained how to use possessory adjectives to show ownership in sentences.

  • The possessory form in English often adds an apostrophe and 's' to a noun.

  • The possessory rights of the tenant were clearly defined in the lease agreement.

  • In legal terms, possessory interests can affect property disputes.

  • A possessory pronoun like 'mine' identifies ownership of an object by a specific person.

  • In grammar, possessory nouns illustrate to whom an object belongs.

  • The possessory adjective 'my' shows that the speaker owns the item mentioned.

Surface Forms

possessory positive

Morphology

possessory = possess (transparent) = possess + ory

Derived from 'possess' + '-ory'; the grammatical/ownership sense is a direct relational adjective formation.

Etymology

Possessory comes from possess and possession, meaning 'to have' or 'to own'. In grammar, possessory describes words or forms that show who owns something (like 'hers' or the apostrophe and 's'), so it tells us who 'has' the thing.